hamburger!

Monday, January 31, 2011

Here's the deal: Angela mentioned to me that she wanted to get hambloggerwithcheese fired up again and immediately I thought of The Burgers Priest. There's a couple of reasons why. First, Angela is a Toronto ex-pat living in San Francisco. Secondly, she hasn't eaten at TBP. Thirdly, it's by far Toronto's best burger.

So it's only fitting, that upon the return of hambloggerwithcheese, that The Burger's Priest gets to bat leadoff.

The Burger's Priest is somewhere between Shake Shack and an In and Out. It definitely leans toward more to the Shake Shack side of things (in fact, it's veggie burger is almost identical to the Shack veggie), but it somehow doesn't get pigeoned holed into the "wannabe" category that so many other food spots in Toronto get thrown into. Perhaps it's a combination of serving really good food and serving it consistently. TBP delivers a straight forward, well made burger, allowing it to shine in Toronto's fast food scene where quality often plays second fiddle to quantity.

Although, I'd like to think that the lynchpin to The Burgers Priest's success is due to their "unspoken" menu items. Consider them a darkhorse; often unknown to the majority of customers and definitely approached with buyer beware. Most people don't order these items, not because they aren't delicious but because of the sheer audacity and resolve it takes to tackle one of these enormous creations. If a cheeseburger is penance at The Burgers Priest, the secret menu items are self flagellation.

Introduce the Vatican. While not the most daunting of burger behemoth at TBP (that title belongs to the Tower of Babel), it is no walk in the park. The Vatican breaks down like this: a grilled cheese makes the top bun, followed by trimmings, beef patty, bun, trimmings, beef patty, condiments and then finally a grilled cheese for the bottom bun. It is as Kanye would say "fucking ridiculous".

Usually when creations like these are cobbled together, you're knee jerk reaction is to think "thisiswhyyourefat.com" and "gross". While the first thought is true, the second is entirely off base. Sure, the Vatican will most likely cause you to lose consciousness and gain 5 pounds instantly, but that's just the cost of doing business with God. The Vatican - in many ways like it's architectural namesake - does not disappoint. The combination of all the ingredients work together marvellously. RIght amount of cheese, right amount of meat, right amount of bun. For whatever reason, the Vatican does not feel too rich, which is ironic given it's name and composition. It's actually surprising how "doable" a burger like this really is. It speaks volumes about the quality and portion size of TBP's burgers. Try this at Dangerous Dan's, and I guarantee your large intestine and asshole would explode without fail. At TBP? You feel as if God himself is inside your belly.

This is why - in my books at least - The Burger Priest shines. They can serve you a plain ole cheeseburger and you'd be as happy as could be. Contrastingly they could serve you a Vatican, and you'd feel equally content and proud. Without hesitation, I will say that The Burgers Priest is definitely Toronto's gold standard when it comes to burgs and the rest of the pack has a lot of work to do if they want to topple the new king.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

There hasn't been any updates on this blog in quite a while, but since checking stats and seeing that there's still so many daily hits, we're going to try to start updating this blog again regularly. I've also recently been talking a whole lot about it, and feel like if I'm going to talk about it - it's got to still be active!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

In my search for a burger place that I hadn't tried yet, I came across Flip Burger Boutique. I checked out their website to discover that their burgers are unlike most that you find anywhere else. Not the plain, old school hamburgers or cheeseburgers that have different cheeses or you might add bacon to. The creative director of Flip, Richard Blais, has appeared on "Top Chef: Chicago" and "Iron Chef America". The menu is actually not terribly priced for what you get. Your standard burger is $6.50 and most the rest go up to $9, with the exception of the "A5", a 5.5 oz. Japanese Kobe (A5 rating) patty, foie gras (look it up if you don't know what it is), truffle butter, b&b pickles and red wine syrup, which will set you back $30! They also serve "flip" burgers which give you choices besides beef, such as pork, shrimp, wild mushroom and others. One other thing they serve are their shakes... liquid N₂ milkshakes. They have Nutella & burnt marshmallow, pistachio & white truffle, foie gras (again, look it up if you haven't yet) and I had to try the Krispy Kreme flavor. It is exactly like you would imagine a liquid donut would taste, delicious.

I chose to go with the Philly burger, topped with french onions, green peppers, ketchup and Cheese Whiz! After it came out, it was a little smaller than I had expected, but that's my fault for not reading the menu which states the beef burgers are 5.5 oz: hangar steak, brisket and short rib. I was also confused on the cheese whiz. It wasn't the fake, processed, bold yellow/orange-goo that I'm used to seeing, it was white and almost had a whipped butter-like consistency. It even melted like butter would once I started digging in. Despite the size it was excellent, and actually, looking back on it, 8 oz burgers might be that "just too big" size where you just have those last few bites left and go ahead and finish it only to regret it 10 minutes later. I did leave there with a full stomach, but not overly full. So if you're in the area, definitely check out Flip.

I will forewarn that parking might be tough, so get there early (they open at 5 for dinner) and don't expect privacy. There are only 3 booths, and two rows of tables in the center that seat four, which, if you have two in your party, could mean you'll end up sitting with two strangers. I'll probably be making future trips here to hamblog about some of the other options they have.

The Brick Store Pub is has been voted in this years "100 Best Bars in America" by Esquire magazine. Located in Decatur, they specialize in an extensive beer selection (excluding any of the major domestics) and have some pretty awesome food. I had yet to try the burger there in my previous trips, but I decided it was time. I ordered the Brick Burger with swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato (no onions come on this Atlanta burger), cooked medium. I was amazed on how thick the burger was and once i added some of their signature spicy mustard, I put the top bun on and wasn't sure how I was going to actually go about eating the monstrosity. Well, I made it work and all I can say is "yum". It was cooked perfectly, just the right amount of cheese (not that too much cheese is a bad thing), bun toasted just right, everything was dead on. I can't give it credit for being one of the top 5 in Atlanta, but maybe in the top 10. They also offer Turkey and Veggie burgers which I'm sure are just as good if the hamburger I ate was any indicator. My only complaint about the place is sometimes it can get too crowded and it's hard to find place to sit, but it is worth it, so check it out when you're in the area!

My friend Darren and I went here for hamburgers and beer, knowing that they are known for being an award winning burger joint. Gigantic, all-natural, half-pound Niman Ranch patties are juicy, fresh and grilled to order. We both got it topped with avocado and pepper jack cheese, and man oh man, was it ever good! You could also order a chicken cheesesteak or a hot dog if you really wanted to, but it would be a shame to miss out on the burgers.

The only bogus thing about this place is the price. Granted, they are gourmet burgers, however $19.50 for a cheeseburger and a glass of beer is a bit hefty. Though completely delicious, and great cuts of meat, it's just a tad expensive for what they are.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Last night when out at a bar, my friend Rob showed up more stoked than normal. He said he was walking to Pop's and came across someone selling a bunch of random things on the street. Wide-eyed, he found this hamburger recipe book, and bought it for me for $1.00. It's hardcover and totally mouth watering!